Ab initio fragment molecular orbital study of ligand binding to human progesterone receptor ligand-binding domain

We applied the fragment molecular orbital (FMO) method, which enables total electronic calculations of large molecules at ab initio level, to the evaluation of binding affinities between the human progesterone receptor ligand-binding domain (PR LBD) and various steroidal ligands. The FMO calculations were performed on the entire structure of the PR LBD, which is composed of approximately 4,100 atoms. Our computational binding energies of PR LBD/ligand complexes agreed well with experimental binding affinities (r=0.909). Interaction energies between each ligand and specific amino acid residues were also obtained from the FMO calculations. The principal residues involved in the interactions with these ligands were Arg766 and Asn719, with some additional contribution by Gln725. The main factor determining differences in binding affinity of the various ligands was not interactions with particular residues, but with the binding-site residues closest to the ligand. The interfragment interaction energy analysis is proving to be a useful method for gaining detailed information on ligand binding.